Bret Blevins

The New Mutants face their darkest challenges yet as Chris Claremont and Louise Simonson steer the team through the Mutant Massacre aftermath, the Fall of the Mutants, and the Inferno crossover. Magik loses her soul to Limbo's demons, Cypher is killed in battle — a genuinely shocking death for the era — and the team is reshaped under Magneto's controversial mentorship at Xavier's School. The book also features Barry Windsor-Smith's stunning work and the introduction of Bird-Brain and the Ani-Mator. These stories pushed the New Mutants into increasingly mature territory, dealing with real loss and moral complexity that set them apart from every other teen team book on the market.